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President Barack Obama won a hard-fought victory on his signature domestic issue — healthcare reform — first thing in the morning with the Senate vote and then he left the frozen tundra of Washington, D.C., (we’re talking about the weather) for the balmy tropics of Hawaii.

A sweet start to the Christmas holidays for the first family.

Air Force One landed at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu (even some of the Secret Service agents on the ground were in Hawaiian shirts) and everyone in the first family was greeted with the traditional lei around their necks.

Then it was off to their Kailua home, past lush green rolling hills, with gawkers stopping to take pictures, wave, call someone, flash the “hang loose” sign and essentially give the Obamas a warm welcome.

No word yet from the White House on first family Christmas presents or on precisely how they are planning to celebrate the holiday, except that the president is going to relax.

“I think the president is going to wake up and see where the day takes him. I’ve checked out the forecast for the entire time we’re there … Friday it’s 81 and sunny, Saturday it’s 81 and sunny. So I think that the weather ought to lend itself to some outdoor activity,” White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters on Air Force One.

“This is an opportunity for the president to recharge his batteries, knowing that as president you never really get to power off all the way,” Burton said.

Author Profile

Toby covers national security. She used to run the Front Row Washington politics blog, was a White House correspondent during President George W. Bush's second term, and has covered intelligence, defense, foreign policy, and Congress. As Dallas correspondent she covered the stand-off in Waco. Early years in New York were spent covering financial markets and New York Fed.